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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25507672">Animal Friend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lentranced/pseuds/lentranced'>lentranced</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25507672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lentranced/pseuds/lentranced</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marianne has a gift, but she's never seen it as such. To her, it's simply been where she feels safest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Peculiarity: FE Small Writer Zine</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Animal Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For Marianne von Edmund, this is what it means to be home.</p><p>It's these sunsets by the stables that Marianne treasures most.</p><p>As the day winds down to a slow, sleepy crawl, she's by the horses, tending to them and speaking with them, and it's these conversations that fill her heart.</p><p>Though on this particular evening, there is a bit of emptying of her heart that she needs to do.</p><p>"Dorte," she whispers into the wind, brushing the horse's mane as she calls to him. The stables are tidier than usual tonight, and it's not without reason.</p><p>"Did you enjoy Lorenz's visit?" she asks the horse, a smile forming on her lips as she looks into his gentle eyes. "He's a nice classmate, I suppose, and very helpful and eager to work."</p><p>Dorte neighs, leathery skin warm and pleasant under her fingers. Marianne leans closer towards the animals, closing her eyes. The falling sun strikes her cheekbones, casting fire over her face.</p><p>"He has helped before, but today was different," she says. "He was looking at me differently, letting me lead the work."</p><p>Hearing such praises being piled upon her by Lorenz had caused her to freeze in place a few times earlier that day. He had been watching her while she fed the animals, comforted them, and brushed them.</p><p>She felt as though she were being evaluated. Lorenz had assured her that was not the case.</p><p>He was simply impressed.</p><p>Impressed? With her?</p><p>"I wasn't trying to show off," she says. "I don't know what I'd even show off to begin with..."</p><p>As she trails off and the remaining daylight slips away, she wonders if Lorenz will be singing the same tune tomorrow.</p><p>***</p><p>Tomorrow arrives soon enough, much to Marianne's dismay. The Golden Deer ride with the professor and Claude leading, and beside Marianne, Lorenz rides on his horse.</p><p>Marianne keeps her eyes on the field. As Claude begins giving instructions, she keeps herself situated near Lorenz and Hilda, close enough to get around in case anyone needs her healing magic.</p><p>"How are you holding up, Marianne?" Lysithea asks, crossing paths as she makes her way across through the grass.</p><p>Marianne's hand flies to her chest. "Oh, I'm alright... I'm doing fine."</p><p>Her mount feels like an extension of herself. She doesn't feel like she has to worry about guiding her horse where to go. They're on the same page, two sets of eyes working together to achieve a common goal. As Lysithea leaves, Marianne exhales, turning to face Lorenz and Hilda once again.</p><p>Heat flashes past her cheek. A sudden gust of searing air pushes against the back of her clothing, tousling her hair.</p><p>Her senses are as attuned to casting magic as they are to reacting to it. She can almost see the pillar of flame cut across the horizon before mushrooming into an explosion near Lorenz.</p><p>It strikes close.</p><p>No, too close.</p><p>Marianne is moving before she can think, bolting towards the scorching patch of grass where Lorenz could have been.</p><p>Lorenz, unscathed, struggles to stay on his horse. The animal is panicked, whinnying and backing up, threatening Lorenz's ability to stay on it.</p><p>"Steady! Steady!" He yells.</p><p>Marianne stops her steed and climbs off, breathing ragged. Carefully, she maneuvers around the startled horse and begins soothing it.</p><p>"Shush... shush, sweet. It's alright..."</p><p>This is when she feels strongest, and she can't deny that. Around these animals, she doesn't feel small anymore.</p><p>Lorenz's horse looks at her, grunting softly. They're eye to eye, and Marianne doesn't look away. Her gaze is firm, but kind.</p><p>She strokes his face and continues shushing. Beyond the burnt grass, Hilda corners the enemy mage responsible for the disturbance.</p><p>"Marianne," Lorenz says as she mounts her horse once again.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>He turns his horse. Beyond them, Claude signals that it's time to head back.</p><p>"It is just as it seemed yesterday," he says. "You have a gift for handling animals."</p><p>Marianne fumbles with the reins of her mount. She isn't sure if she'd go so far as to call it a <em>gift</em>.</p><p>However, as the days begin to prove to her, the word comes easy to her fellow classmates. Lorenz claims her gifts could prove to be a tactical advantage.</p><p>Claude agrees, and when Hilda cheers beside her, Marianne isn't sure how to react.</p><p>"It's not really a gift," she whispers.</p><p>"You're thinking too hard about it," Hilda says.</p><p>"It's a skill that you have," Lysithea tells her. "You have something that can benefit all of us during battle."</p><p>Marianne doesn't think she could be much of a benefit to anyone, but the thought lingers in her mind.</p><p>The evenings by the stables grow longer with each passing day. Dorte's company becomes more and more precious as the worries begin to pile in her.</p><p>"We're riding out to battle again tomorrow, Dorte," she says to the horse. "This time... it's going to be dangerous."</p><p>Dorte neighs against her hand. The horses around her all seem to shift and whinny.</p><p>The world feels so much smaller, so much safer, when it's just Marianne in the stables. It feels like something she <em>can</em> handle.</p><p>Unlike the battlefield, which is so incredibly big. It's not in her hands, no, the only part that is, are the reins to her horse.</p><p>"Will I ever be ready?" she asks the silence.</p><p>How many reins could she hold? How could her classmates trust her not to let go?</p><p>Dorte presses his nose to Marianne's cheek, pushing aside her bangs. It feels like an answer more than anything.</p><p>Marianne swallows. Before she knows it, her arms are around the animal's neck.</p><p>"It's not just bandits anymore," she says.</p><p>Dorte responds in the way Marianne best understands: the slightest shift closer, a soft neigh. The action echoes in Marianne's heart like the beat of horse hooves against the earth. The response blossoms in her heart.</p><p>It doesn't matter if they're bandits or soldiers. It doesn't matter who's on the other side, but who's on hers.</p><p>The professor.</p><p>Claude, Hilda, and Lysithea. Lorenz, Ignatz, Leonie and Raphael.</p><p>***</p><p>The horizon bleeds orange and pink the next morning when the Golden Deer ride out into battle, and Marianne feels like her veins are singing. The professor stops them as the enemy camp comes into view, an inkblot against the skyline.</p><p>"You remember the plan, correct?" Lorenz asks. He's beside her, and she knows he'll stay beside her.</p><p>They need each other today, more than ever before. He's relying on her.</p><p>And, perhaps, truly she wouldn't have it any other way.</p><p>Marianne takes a deep breath, stroking the mane of her horse.</p><p>"Yes, Lorenz," she says.</p><p>Daybreak reflects in her eyes and she doesn't look away from her friends.</p><p>They're all she needs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading, and thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/fesmallwriter">Peculiarity</a> for giving me this opportunity! I enjoyed writing this fic and participating in the project. Thank you for reading as well! Here is a <a href="https://twitter.com/macedon_prince">link to my twitter</a> if you're interested!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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